DISPATCHES by Michael Herr (hier online bestellen)
The story:
Journalist Michael Herr looks back at his experience as a war correspondent in Vietnam. Published in 1991,
and called "the best book to have been written about the Vietnam War" by the "New York Times," it is a personal
journal: tough, profane and often horrifying in its detail. More a collection of thoughts, stories and
impressions than a straight-forward memoir, the book is a visceral account of the experience of war and
its effect on the men who fight it. It's a powerful read, but if you're looking for a standard history of
the war, look elsewhere.
Extract from book:
Bob Stokes of Newsweek told me this: In the big Marine hospital in
Danang they have what is called the 'White Lie Ward', where they
bring some of the worst cases, the ones who can be saved but who will
never be the same again. A young Marine was carried in, still unconscious and full of morphine, and his legs were gone. As he was being
carried into the ward, he came out of it briefly and saw a Catholic
chaplain standing over him.
'Father,' he said, 'am I all right?'
The chaplain didnt know what to say. 'You'll have to talk about
that with the doctors, son.'
Father, are my legs okay?'
'Yes,' the chaplain said. 'Sure.'
By the next afternoon the shock had worn off and the boy
knew all about it . He was lying on his cot when the chaplain came
by.
'Father,' the Marine said, I'd like to ask you for something.'
'What, son?'
'I'd like to have that cross.' And he pointed to the tiny silver insignia on the chaplain's lapel.
'Of course,'the chaplin said. But why?'
'Wll, it was the first thing I saw when I came to yesterday, and I'd
like to have it.
The chaplain removed the cross and handed it to him. The Marine
held it tightly in his fist and looked at the chaplain.
'You lied to me, Father,' he said. 'You cocksucker. You lied to
me.'
pp.142/43
About the author:
Michael Herr (b. 1940)
Among the most private of contemporary writers, Michael Herr has revealed little of his personal life. He was
born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and attended Syracuse University. He then moved to New York City, where
he worked in the editorial offices of Holiday magazine and produced articles and film criticism for such
periodicals as Mademoiselle and the New Leader. In 1967, he persuaded Harold Hayes, the editor of Esquire
magazine, to send him to Vietnam. He stayed there for over a year and witnessed some of the most intense
fighting of the war. For a writer, Herr’s situation in Vietnam was ideal: he had no specific assignment,
he was relatively free to travel where he liked, and he was unencumbered by deadlines. Herr initially intended
to write a monthly column from Vietnam but soon realized the idea was “horrible.” In fact, Herr published only
a few Vietnam pieces in Esquire and did not get his war experiences into a book until 1977.
After the war, Herr lived in New York for a time. After finishing Dispatches, he collaborated on the screenplay
for Apocalypse Now and, more recently, for Full Metal Jacket. At last report, Herr lives in London.
Buchdaten:
DISPATCHES by Michael Herr
Sprache: Englisch
Broschiert - 320 Seiten - Picador
Erscheinungsdatum: 6. September 2002
ISBN: 0330491997
Preis: € 9,99
If you want to buy this book second hand
good condition(Picador paperback, 206pp),
send me an eMail
The price of it is € 8 incl. postage.
More works from the same author:
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